Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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562. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the additional resources that will be provided to Tourism Ireland in 2018 to increase the number of tourists coming from the UK market following the 5% decrease in UK visitors in 2017 compared to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6778/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I welcome the overall growth in visit numbers to Ireland in 2017. However, the decline in the numbers visiting from Great Britain remains a concern. The fall in the value of sterling against the euro following the Brexit vote in the UK has been the primary factor in this.

Tourism Ireland has a programme of marketing activity in place for 2018 to keep Ireland front of mind for British visitors. That marketing effort will continue throughout the year. In addition, I recently joined Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland to launch an initiative, specially designed to boost tourist numbers from Britain to the Wild Atlantic Way. A €1.35 million marketing campaign in Britain will be complemented by a Fáilte Ireland €500,000 programme to support businesses along the Wild Atlantic Way to position themselves to benefit from the campaign, as well as to boost its own marketing campaigns in Northern Ireland.

In Budget 2018 €2m in capital funding was secured for Tourism Ireland to invest in strengthening its digital infrastructure, deepening its understanding of the all-important overseas consumer and developing new creative, for roll out from 2019, that will give Ireland real stand-out and inspire and motivate people across the world to ‘book now’.